Furnace



c. F. KENWoRT-HY June r2. 1925.

FUnNAcE Filed Feb. 14 1924 Patented June 2, 192,5.

UNITED STATESv .PATENT oFFicE.

CHARLES F. KENWORTHY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO CHARLES F. KEN'WCBTHY, INCORPORATED, 0F WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT,A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

runner,

To yall whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. KEN- wou'ru'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

' This invention relates to furnaces of the type generally known as annealing furnaces, having an elevator or conveyor mechanism associated therewith.

It is the object of this invention, among other things, to provide a'new and improved mechanism for automatically transmitting rotation to said elevator or conveyer so that it may be moved into and out of register with both the furnace and the platform opening.

To these, and other ends, my invention consists in the furnace, having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and more-particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate like parts in the several figures:

Figure 1 isa plan view of a furnace embodying my improvements therein;

Figure .2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation thereof with the parts in section,.ta'ken generally upon line 2--2 of Figure 1;

.Figure 3 is a plan view of that portion of the elevatormechanism above the furnace platform; "1

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation thereof, taken generally upon line {1* 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the elevator cam; Y

Figure 6 is an elevation thereof; and

- Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional vieu of one of the cam rolls and adjacent parts, substantially as shown on a smaller scale in Figure 4.

One of the many types of furnace with which my invention isada'ptedis shown in Letters Patent No. 1,388,575, issued to me August 23, 1921, for improvements in furnaces.

In this type of furnace an elevator is provided for both loading and unloading. This loading mechanism 1s generally operable within a tank below the platform filled with liquid and near the bottom of the tank means are provided for automatically and intermittently rotating the elevator, thereby bringing the load upon the elevator successively infregister. with the platform opening and annealing chamber.

In my .improved type of furnace the means for rotating the loading and unloading mechanism, that is, the elevator mechanism, is located above the top of the tank where it is readily accessible for adjustment, repacking and the like. Hence it is not necessary to withdraw the liquid from the tank before the rotating mechanism is accessible. The elevating mechanism moves upwardly by hydraulic pressure and the work thereon 1s projected into the furnace. After the annealing operation the elevator is lowered by gravity. When near-the limit of its down stroke the rotating mechanism, located above the tank, automatically rotates the elevators by the time the down .stroke is completed.

-Hence the elevator platforms 'are moved in a circular path and the platforms last in the furnaces are moved out of register therewith and other platforms are brou ht into re ister therewith, and the Work t ereon during the next up movement of the elevator mechanism is projected into the furnaces, these operations being continuous and entirely automatic.

My improved mechanism, which is exposed above the platform, is designed for rotating this elevator, v

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates thel tank, 11-11 the annealing furnaces or chambers, 12 the elevatorplatform, 1-3`the piston cylinder, 14 the iston therein, 15 the piston head, 16 the p atform, and 17 the hinged covers which provide closure mem-` bers for the vopeningsfrthrough` said platforms.

The piston head 15, which constitutes noV part of my present invention and therefore not described herein in detail, is .provided `th suitable packing 23'held in. place by a gland 24. The piston cylinder 13 is supported at its upper end in a plate 18 and closed by a cap 19, secured by a plurality of bolts 21 to a collar 20 threaded onto the upper end of said piston cylinder. 'Through the center of the cap 19 isQ an opening that isclosed by a re- Vmovable plug 22.

On the upper face of thecap 19, adjacent to the' outside edge thereof, are four lugs 25, within each of which a stud 26 is secured by means of the screws 27 or the like. Rota# 'tably mounted on these studs are the vcam rolls 28. i i

Fixed upon the plate 18 is the elevator cam 29, which is parti-circular in plan View and upon its inner face'is provided with a cam groove 30, which is substantially V'- shape in elevation having'a pocket 31 near the bottom thereof. The lower face 32 of the cam groove upon one side of the pocket 31.-terminates1near the bottom of the vpocket 31 and the face 33 upon the opposite side of said" ocket is at a different angle to that o the face 32 and is connected with the pocket 31 by the face 34,

Through the back wall of the cam groove 30 are the latch openings 35 through each of which projects a latch 36. This latch is upon the inner end of a stud 37 that is surrounded by a spring 39 and is movably mounted in a.v bracket 38 fixed to the outer Wall of the elevator cam 29. As each latch is provided with an an ular face 40 it will recede and permit an oject moving in one direction in thecam groove 30 to ass thereby, but will prevent a return 't ereof because the object will engage the flat edge 41 of the latch.

When the elevator is in its down position one of the rolls 28 is in the pocket 31 in the position indicated by broken lines 44 in ig. 6. When the elevator begins to rise this roll travels upwardly out of tlie pocket 31 in to the cam groove 30 until it contacts with the upper beveled face 42 thereof and then travels along said face, at the same time impartin a rotation to the elevator until it passes y the latch to the right in Fig. 6, the same receding by reason of the contact of the roll with the beveled face thereof. After the roll has passed out of the cam groove the elevator continues its upward movement in a straight path and wit-hout rotation. Near the limit of the next downward movement of the elevator the next adjacent cam roll enters the groove 30 upon that side that is at the left in Fig. 6, and ridges against the cam face 32, passing the latch, which recedes for the urpose, until the elevator is in substantial y its extreme downward position when the roll is in the position shown by broken lines 44. During the downward movement the elevator is rotated oneeighth of a revolution and upon its return another one-eighth, so that at each successive down and up movement the platform 12 is rotated one-fourth of a revolution. This rotation of the platform is auto-A matic and all of the parts that cause this action are exposed above the, platform,

where they are readily accessible for the pur ose of replacement, repairs, adjustment, pac ing of glands, etc. v y

There are/minor changes' and alterations that may be made within'my invention and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction heiein shown and described, but' claim all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

\ Whatv I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patenti is 1. In combination, a furnace, a'tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, and means exterior to and ad- `jacent to the-top of the tank fory effecting self-rotation of the elevator. v

' 2. In combination, a furnace, a tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, and cam means exterior to and adjacent to the top of the tank for effecting self-rotation of the elevator.`

3. In combination, a furnace, -a tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, and means exterior to the tankfor effecting self-rotation of the elevator, a portion of said Self-rotation being accomplished during the movement of the elevator in one direction and the balance ofsuch rotation while the elevator is moving in thev opposite direction.

4. In combination, a furnace, a tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, and means exterior to the tank for effecting self-rotation of the Lelevator, Said self-rotation being accomplished dui'- ing the movement of the/elevator in both dij jecting members connected with the elevator 4and arranged relatively to the vcam so that duriner the movement of the elevator in one directlon one of the projecting members will enter said groove and by its engagement therewith impart partial rotation to 4the elevator.

7. In combination, a furnace, a tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, a cam having a groove therein exterior to the tank, a plurality of project-ing members connected with the elevator and arranged relatively to the cam so that during the movement'vo'f the' elevator in one direct-ion one of the projecting members will enter said groove and by its engagement therewith impart partial rotation to the 'other member and during the movement of the elevator in the opposite direction will impart a further rotation to the elevator in venter said groove and by its engagement therewith impart partial rotation to the elevator, and means for preventing movement of the projecting member through said groove except in one direction. 4

9. In combination, a furnace, a tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, a cam having a groove therein exterior to the tan'k, a plurality of projecting members connected with the elevator and arranged relatively to the cam so that during the movement of the elevator in one direction one of the projecting members will enter said groove and by its engagement therewith impart partial rotation tothe elevator, and yielding means for preventing movement of the projecting member through said groove except in one direction.

10. In combination, a furnace, a. tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, a cam having a groove therein exterior to the tank, a plurality of projecting members connected with the elevator and arranged relatively to the cam so that during the movement of the elevator in one direction one of the projecting members will ent-er said groove and by its engagement therewith impart partial rotation to the elevator, and one or more latches, each having one face beveled relatively to the groove, and another face at substantially a right angle thereto, which latches are moved to a position below the bottom of the groove when the projecting member moves therethrough in one direction, butwill prevent movement of the projecting member in the opposite direction.

11. In combination, a furnace, a :tank below the furnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, a cam having a groove therein exterior to the tank, a plurality of projecting members connected with 'the elevator and arranged relatively to the cam so that during the movement of the elevator in one direction one of the projecting members will enter said groove and by-its'engagement therewith impart partial rotation to the elevator, and a'spring for actuating each latch in one direction.

12. In combination, a furnace, a tank below the furnace, an elevator havinga piston cylinder as one of its parts, a'plurality of cam members connected with the piston cylinder and projecting radially therefrom, a cam having a groove therein fixed in relation to the piston cylinder so that during each downward movement thereof one of the cam members will enter the cam groove.l

13. In combination, a. furnace, a tank below the furnace, an elevator vhaving-a piston cylinder as one of the parts thereof, a separable member secured to the piston cylinder, a plurality of cam rolls rotatably connected with the piston cylinder and projecting radially therefrom, and a cam having a groove therein fixedl in relation to the cylinder whereby during each downward movement of the cam rolls one ofthe cam rolls will enter the groove 'in the cam and thereby impart a limited rotary movement to the elevator.

14. In combination, a furnace, a tank below thefurnace, an elevator connected with the furnace, and means exterior to the'tank for effecting self-rotation ofthe elevator,

said means comprising a plurality of cam members rotatably connected with the elevator and projecting radially therefrom, and a cam with a curved inner wall havinga V-groove in said 4wall fixed in relation to the elevator.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my si nature.

CH RLES F. KENlVOItTI-IY. 

